Sorry, My Mom Won’t Give Me A Dowry

Well the wedding festival went off without a hitch. All together we checked a whopping 1,557 blood pressures- with 121 of them being women. I don’t want to say too much, but I would put that under the success column. After the first day, we got a really good flow and feeling for what worked best for us. With some people doing crowd control, three blood pressure takers going, and then those around to help educated and tally- I think all together we did a great job. We did have a lot more on lookers than I had anticipated, and a lot of repeats (we’re convinced if they got a higher pressure, they wanted to come back and double check), but all in all... it went quite smoothly. Here are some snap shots from under the tent...

As for the festival itself, unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to really walk around it until the last day. Due to illness, hosting, and working, it was hard to get a chance to sneak away. Just image a huge outdoor garage sale, everyone having their own tent. A flea market, if you will. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without street food and some music. Although, I wouldn’t know about the street food-- after waiting two hours for kebabs, a few who ordered that delicious looking chicken, decided to leave the table and continue on through the festival.

A few of us, however, were able to get a chance to hang out with some camels before they were shipped back off to the Sahara. A little confession: camels look really cool & exotic until you get up close. Once you’re face to face, you realize how... kind of odd they look (at least to me), and how uncomfortable they seem to be if you were to ride on one. But the riding part will come later on. Anyways, check out our little photo shoot: 

This was also my first time hosting at my new house, to which I was quite nervous. Hosting always has the potential to be stressful, but add in being sick, not having running water, and not enough sleeping space. Also, there’s no King Kullen (Walbaums, Stop & Shop, whatever) down the street to run to if I’ve forgotten something. Though, all guests are PCVs, so they’re use to these conditions, it’s still a bit demanding. But with the help of my guests, especially my better half, hosting was a breeze. Every dinner made was delicious; from spicy stir-fry, to fried chicken with mashed potatoes & applesauce... mmmm, amazing!

Cooking here has definitely been something I’ve gotten into to. And while cooking for one isn’t too exciting, when the opportunity presents itself, I’ve really enjoyed baking or cooking for the occasion. Some of these delicious dishes include (keep in mind, everything’s from scratch):

• Biscuits
• Flour Tortillas (used for tacos & burritos)
• French Toast
• Pancakes (apple cinnamon, oatmeal chocolate chip)
• Pizza (a variety, I love pizza)
• Garlic Bread
• Cream of Tomato Soup
• Vegetable Soup
• French Fries
• Hash Browns
• Mashed Potatoes
• Alfredo Sauce
• Apple Sauce
• Burgers
• A Basic Meat Sauce
• Vegetable Dip
• Stir Fry with a variety of sauces (peanut, spicy tomato, butter...)
• Huevos Rancheros
• A Variety of Omelets
• Fried Chicken
• BBQ Chicken
• Brownies
• Yogurt Cake
• Yogurt Coffee Cake (oh my lord, so good!)

I really want to make enchiladas soon, so hopefully that will happen. But alas, cooking here has been a lot of fun. Kind of making things up as I go along too. With time to spare, it’s easy to get carried away with some things, and when getting together with other volunteers- cooking is something everyone enjoys.

Along with cooking, my house is coming together slowly. I’m trying to use a lot of things I’ve found around my house, around my yard, around the area, to my advantage and in resourceful ways. Which reminds me, I have a buttload of plastic bottles, any suggestions on what I can do with them? I’d rather have some project than throw them out, as they would just stay in a landfill. So if you do, please let me know! Anyways, check out some of the updates...

my newer, smaller, yard. with fire pit and compost pile.

...make shift shelves!

Well, I’ve gone on for a while now and I must head out and get some water. Out of the 8 community taps, the two closest to me have gone dry, so I’m off to find one that is actually working, joy.

Bulgarian Burgers

I woke up today to get a 4 am transit down the mountain. I don't know what it is about getting up a the crack of dawn, but it always makes me a bit gitty. I blame my parents, my dad mostly. I can remember setting my alarm clock, if not being woken up by my mom, to get up around 4:30 in the morning and get to the car to go who knows where. Dad loves driving anywhere, I guess that's where I get it. It was always so exciting... our bags would be packed, and my brothers and I would trudge down the stairs, still half asleep, but with a pillow in arm and head to the car. And back in those days, when we had our sweet van, we'd already have our spots in the car picked out, so we would hop in, and make our own little bed. Then, after making sure we had everything, we'd all head out. And usually we'd all conk back out by William Floyd (Mom probably just after we got on the LIE), with the promise of bagels in Queens. "I know just the place!" Dad would always say, he always knows just where to go. I guess that's why I never mind getting up early to travel, I think I'm always expecting to get bagels. So I thank you both for that.


Here's a little different. You hope there's a seat, by the window preferably, and then pray you don't get caught in a vomit frenzy. With still an unknown cause, travel and Moroccans just do not mix. And nothing is worse than standing in the middle of a moving van, with a women on either side of you, puking into a plastic bag. Thank you Man for inventing iPods. I should have thanked you a while ago when I was taking the LIRR home after a Wiggles concert got out. Lord, was that a rough ride. I had my first MP3 player that I still wouldn't be able to figure out, with only 10 Weezer songs on it, but I listened to that baby the entire ride home.

According to local legend, two lovers, Tislit and Isli were children of warring mountain tribes and had fallen deeply in love. When their families discovered their relationship, they refused to allow them to see one another, let alone marry. The couple was so heartbroken that they ran away to marry secretly, and then threw themselves into the mountain lakes that today bear their names.

Devastated by the deaths of their children, the tribes came together and agreed that from then on, no one would be able to dictate who their children were to marry. The wedding festival serves as a yearly reminder of both this freedom to choose and an opportunity for men and women to meet their future spouses. Indeed, it is one of the few opportunities many mountain villagers have to socialize with the opposite sex, and people come out in droves to see and be seen.

According to protocol, women are made up by their families in traditional dress, their single status identifiable by their pointed head apparel. Potential husbands then browse the goods on offer, egged on by their friends, before settling on a potential match. The womens' families still play a crucial role, determining whether or not the suitor is appropriate - if his application is unwanted, a broken handshake indicates he should move on. If, on the other hand, he is successful, his bride-to-be will say the immortal words: "You have captured my liver" and the match will be settled.

Right, back to the point. So, now I'm down here, in Rich, one of the two closer cities to my town, running around getting some shopping done and some serious internet-ing. Which means intense Facebook stalking; no one's safe. I need to stock up on some goods because this week my side of the mountain is playing host to the world renown Wedding Festival. The story behind the festival is this:

Okay, so these days it's more like huge open market, and there's a tent where couple's can get a marriage certificate. It's believed that no one really gets married off these days, but can still happen. I'm told there are marriage ceremonies up by the lakes, so hopefully I'll get to see some of that.

So I get to play host to about 10-15 volunteers in my little house with no running water. These guys will actually be able to have a real Peace Corps experience haha.. it should be a lot of fun. Most people haven't gotten a chance to come up the mountain, so it'll be a good time. And I promise, I will post pictures when I can. 

Work wise, we will be setting up a tent at the festival where we will be giving free blood pressure tests and talking about good pressure vs. bad and what one can do to prevent it. We'll also be talking about the hazards of smoking and the health infrastructure in Morocco and locally so people will know where to go for what. So hope for the best!

Okay, so what exactly have I been up to... not much. I'm still trying to get use to this whole idea of me living here. The language is coming along, as is work. Towards the end of Ramadan, I took a little trip to go camping a bit and then spent a little time on the other side of the mountain, relaxing, cooking up a storm, and just having a good time. Check it out...

Plum Trees, with delicious free plumbs (free if you don't ask...)

A Moroccan house, if you will

Can you find the man in the tree?

absolutely adorable.

pop-up tent and self made fire

Fresh peaches! Yum!

Looking down at Ait-M'Hamed

Enjoying some homemade apple cinnamon pancakes!

Bulgarian cheeseburgers with a ranch topping, my stomach was so happy!

...these ones had a fried egg on top, oh lord.

Weekly souk that serves around 30,000 people

check out those melons!

I realize after posting a lot of these pictures I need to take some more pictures of my own village. I don't know why I just haven't yet. I think it's I don't really think to bring my camera along with me when I take walks, and I apologize. But, I'm on it next time.

Alright readers, I hate to leave, but my ADD is kicking in and I do have some errands to run. A lot of food and other items I need to run around town to buy. There's no Target, no one stop shopping in this town. One day maybe...

Ramadan

Well folks, Ramadan has started. A month where you can actually sit all day and do nothing with the excuse, “well, it’s Ramadan.” Yes, no eating or drinking, or any sort of enjoyment until sunset. Transportation stops, intense labor continues, and everything that you just got use to, has turned upside down. It’s so much fun.

But let’s backtrack a tad bit. Last I left you guys I was head off to Post Service Training. And oh how glorious it was. Actually, it was nice; seeing friends, sleeping in a hotel, food that’s paid for, getting to see the new Harry Potter (oh yeah, don’t think I would have missed that!) no complaints. And at the end of our week of sharing our feelings, experiences, and stomach problems, we ended our week with a Gayla. That’s right gaYla. With a movie (“But, I’m a Cheerleader”) the first night and then a giant dance party (same sex date appreciated) the second to help support our Pride group over here, we celebrated in style...

Ahh date night.

My date for the night, Fatima!

Some of my more appropriate artwork!

This one, not so much, but I tried!

The couples.. and yes, those are my little pink shorts he's wearing. No judgement please.

So yes, Ramadan started last week and it has been a interesting site. Life switches from day to night and it is definitely a time for family. Families travel long distances just to be with each other for the the celebratory month. And right as the sunsets, those fasting are just so excited, (or at least I am). Because it’s at this time when you can finally take that sip of water, taste that soup you’ve been cooking for the past 2 hours, and rip off a piece of fat bread (bread stuffed with onions, peppers, tomatoes, chives, pieces of fat sometimes, depends on the family) and stuff it all in your mouth. It’s like watching an Italian family eat- hands reach for everything, everyone’s talking and asking for things, complete chaos. I know this to be true, I’ve witness an Italian family eat thanks to my last roommate Alessandra (but there’s no wine here with break fast, darn.)

After five days of trying to get out of my site just to get my rent money, I am finally out, sitting on a terrace cafe and full from another volunteer’s host family’s food. I’m having another case of writers block, so I apologize. Not much has gone on since I’ve left post service training. Wish I had some more exciting news for everyone. But the basics: I’m meeting new people every day, I made a garden and fire pit in my yard, I screamed at some kids for banging on my window, the usual for life in Morocco.

I hope to write more and have some more for you guys next week! Sorry about the short entry.

Onward & Upward

It’s funny to me what brings people back into focus. Whether it be just getting out of your house for more than an hour, finally getting in some sort of exercise, meeting one new person, talking to a few of old friends, or even to some new ones. And then when all else fails, there’s good old Mom to tell you that it is perfectly fine that you’ve spent the last 2 days watching seasons 2 and 3 of Scrubs. For me, it was all of the above. But when you do find it, coming back into focus and realizing there is things to be done, is refreshing.

A little backstory to this rambling. I’ve done a bit of traveling in the last couple weeks or so- a much needed mini vacation. It started off with a regional meeting that a bunch of different volunteers in a variety of stages (different years in) attended. It was really cool to meet all these people and hear their experiences thus far. I then went on to meet up with a wonderful friend of mine- where we hung out, ate some great food, went to beautiful waterfalls and just relaxed. We also cooked for ourselves for the first real time- fettucini alfredo with chicken... awesome.

Waterfall in Ouzoud

The next step in my trip brought us to Marrakech where I was never so happy to forget my passport. Because of my forgetfulness, we were not able to stay at the smaller hotel where a lot of the other volunteers were staying, but we went over to an amazingly nice riad. A riad is basically like a hotel, but it’s that nice traditional Moroccan style housing you see on House Hunters International- with the courtyard in the middle of it and all the rooms stemming off from that. Long story short, it was the best mishap I’ve had in a while.

Looking down in our Riad in Marrakech

After this, we made our way down to a music festival where we got to see and meet a lot of other volunteers and see some great music. Bear with me, I’m trying to summarize and I apologize for lack of pictures- my camera died towards the beginning of the trip, figures, so I have to steal them from my other half. So all in all, the traveling was a lot of fun, but towards the end I could not wait to get home. And I think that feeling alone, the feeling of wanting to go home, was a great little accomplishment for myself. The fact that I’ve associated my new community as my home and I can call it that, makes me happy.

So, now.. I’ve moved into my house, I’m taking the decorating aspect slowly, getting use to all the quirks and charms that my mud house has to offer. But all in all, I’m really coming to like my place. Although my landlord, without me knowing about it, is building a new house in what use to be half my yard, I still enjoy sitting in my breakfast nook with my oatmeal and looking outside. 

Aspects about the house that I’ve been asked: 

Yes, it’s a mud house. No, it does not get all muddy & crumble if I get water on the floor.

Yes, I do have locks on my doors. I think.

The toilet, yes, it is a hole. (Check out the picture below- that’s for you Jill & Steph)

Though I have no running water, I’ve gotten down a sweet system for washing dishes.

It does get cold, especially with no heating, but a wood stove is in the thought bubble.

I did bring my hair straightener, because, frankly.. you never know.

Hand washing clothes, not fun.

My Front Yard...

...roof access

the salon room

yes.. the bathroom

this is for you girls... you're welcome :)

My kitchen- which has a new counter next to it now

My Oven...

a little breakfast nook

My room.

gnome, those are not troll sheets.

All in all, this is the first time I’m actually living on my own. No roommates - yes, it’s hard, no cuddle monster. Though, I am cat sitting for 2 weeks, so....

Thank you Mom and Grandparents for the wonderful packages. It’s pretty pathetic, but I’ve gone through a good amount of each package if not the whole thing. But no worries, I did share.. some of it. 

I hope you all enjoyed your Fourth of July!! I can only imagine the celebrations back on the island. I really wish I could have been there for it, but alas, I decided to take a two year hiatus. And even though I wasn’t stateside to celebrate, there was some definite patriotic happenings over here. There was flag hoisting, there was baseball, there were walks, there was potato salad, homemade cookies, Bruce Springsteen songs, and above all, there were fireworks. Okay, so it was steel wool used more like sparklers.. but it was still awesome. Here are some pictures from the day...

So the question I’ve gotten a few times recently- am I happy? (As I engulf a spoonful of American PB and Momma O’s homemade jelly... and yes that did just happen). And while my feet will be permanently dirty for the next two years, my hair constantly feeling like a knotted, dry, horses’s tail; my clothes never truly clean because of my lazy hand washing skills; my house continuously crumbling because lets face it- it is mud; and the occasional ‘what the frick am I doing here’ thought; yes, I am happy. Most days.. haha. 

I’m especially happy right now being that Jill taught me to forget the bread and just dip the spoon in the PB and then the jelly (thank YOU!). Which reminds me, Mom.. if you happen to make another batch of strawberry rhubarb, you know what to do, it’s sad, but I’m almost out. Maybe throw in some peanut butter as well...

So yes, I am happy. Plus, I have to years to read all the books I’ve ever wanted to read, learn to cook a buttload of things from scratch, meet people I never thought I’d meet, see places I’ve always wanted to, all of that cliche stuff! Leaving the states I took on the responsibility of people living vicariously through me, so I will do my best to deliver. Any requests??

Side note: I was so happy to talk to those I did from home. It meant a lot to me, you don’t even know.